Safflower oil is a type of vegetable oil that is becoming increasingly popular among people who are very conscious about health. Safflower oil, as the name suggests, is a form of oil that is taken from the seeds of the safflower plant. There are two ways in which safflower oil is extracted from the plant, a chemical process and a mechanical process.
During the chemical process, the oil is refined by adding certain chemicals into it. This process actually eliminates the essential nutrients found in the oil and also contaminates it with certain harmful chemicals which can cause negative effects on the body when consumed. The other method of extracting oil from the safflower seeds is the mechanical method. In this method, instead of using chemicals, oil is taken from the plant by using a natural expeller also referred to as cold pressed. This is a better method than the former one, because it helps in retaining all the naturally found ingredients in safflower oil. Due to this reason, consumers should check the label well before buying safflower oil to know the method used for making the oil.
The essential ingredients present in safflower oil include, but are not limited to, phytosterols, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), vitamin K and choline.
Safflower oil has the highest source of polyunsaturated fats found in any other type of vegetable oil, i.e. almost 79% polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid). It also contains 13 percent of monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid) and only 8% of saturated fatty acids. The other essential nutrients present in safflower oil are omega-6 fatty acids, cis-linoleic acid, vitamin E, and the like. Due to the presence of these ingredients in safflower oil, this oil is said to have various benefits to the health of individuals. It is important to note that most commercially sold safflower oil is designed for cooking and is a monounsaturated form containing high levels of oleic versus linoleic fatty acid.
This invention provides a dietary supplement containing safflower oil with a high level, i.e., greater than 70%, of linoleic polyunsaturated fatty acid.
Safflower Oil Health Benefits
As safflower oil contains high amounts of polyunsaturated fats, it helps in creation of prostaglandins in the human body. These hormone like compounds aid in strengthening the cell membranes and also in the proper functioning of the body.
According to, Life Style Lounge: Health and Fitness (http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/health-benefits-of-safflower-oil-9614.html (Nov. 15, 2010)) one of the best health benefits of safflower oil is that it is an effective way of eliminating the excess fat accumulated in the body, thus aiding in weight loss. Brown fat is present in several areas of the body which is a major factor that aids in burning calories. Linoleic acid (LA) present in safflower oil is converted into gamma linoleic acid (GLA) that triggers the burning of calories by brown fat. Therefore, people who are looking for ways to lose as well as maintain their weight should include safflower oil in their regular diet.
Many doctors and dietitians recommend the use of safflower oil to obese people suffering from diabetes. Leigh E. Norris et al in “Comparison of Dietary Conjugated Linoleic Acid With Safflower Oil on Body Composition in Obese Postmenopausal Women with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus,” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2009) 90 pages 468-476 reported on research conducted to find the benefits of safflower oil in older diabetic women who are overweight. These women were asked to take safflower oil supplements for a period of sixteen weeks, and the results were entirely positive. It was not only observed that they lost excess fat, but there was also a significant decline in their blood sugar levels.
The benefits reported by Leigh E. Norris et al in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2009) supra are that the linoleic rich safflower oil lowered fasting glucose, improved insulin sensitivity, increased lean tissue mass and significantly reduced trunk (abdominal) adipose mass.
A study by Michelle L. Asp et al., “Time-dependent effects of safflower oil to improve glycemia, inflammation and blood lipids in obese, post-menopausal women with type 2 diabetes: A randomized, double-masked, crossover study” published in Clinical Nutrition, January 2011, pages 1-7, evaluates the metabolic effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and safflower (SFA) oils. Safflower oil (SAF) was chosen as a comparison treatment to CLA in the study with fifty-five post-menopausal, obese women with type 2 diabetes enrolled, and 35 women that completed this randomized, double-masked crossover study.
Treatments were 8 grams daily of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and 8 grams daily of safflower (SAF) oil for 16 weeks each. The participants were monitored to determine the earliest time that a significant effect was detected.
M. L. Asp et al. in Clinical Nutrition, supra reports that with regard to SAF, “we unexpectedly found a 6.3% decrease in fat mass of the trunk region.” The analysis of additional data shows that consumption of SAF resulted in an increase in HDL cholesterol the “good” cholesterol, and an average decrease of 17.5% in C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for systemic inflammation in the body; particularly in the arteries. High levels of CRP are associated with higher risk for heart conditions.
The M. L. Asp et al. study also found that participants consuming safflower oil (SAF) experienced a lowering of glycosylation, a process wherein sugar in the bloodstream attaches to the hemoglobin for the life of the red blood cells which is approximately 120 days. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a test that measures insulin sensitivity over long periods of time. Insulin imbalance is directly tied to fat storage in the belly region.
In addition, the Asp et al. study reports that safflower oil (SAF) provided a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose. High glucose levels results in over production of insulin which has been linked to obesity.
During the 16 week Asp et al. study, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) did not significantly alter the metabolic parameters including at least a 5% decrease in fat mass in the trunk region (belly fat), HDL cholesterol, fasting glucose, insulin sensitivity, C-reactive protein. However, the dramatic physiological effect of safflower oil (SAF) was unexpected and appreciated.
Apart from diabetic patients, using safflower oil, is an effective method of ameliorating premenstrual syndrome. Consuming safflower oil instead of hormonal drugs helps in regularizing menstrual cycles, thus getting rid of the problem of irregular periods, something which is very common in women these days due to various reasons.
Another benefit of using safflower oil is that it helps in the reduction of the level of cholesterol in the blood which reduces the risk of heart diseases in the individual. Apart from this, safflower oil is also said to strengthen the immune system of the body which increases its ability to resist the occurrence of certain infections as well as diseases.
Safflower oil also promotes hair growth and a healthy skin as it contains vitamin E. People who have dry, permed as well as colored hair are recommended to get a regular safflower oil massage for healthy looking hair. This odorless oil is mild and has a very light texture, and so easily absorbs into the scalp. People who are suffering from excess hair fall out can find effective hair regrowth with the application of safflower oil to the hair and scalp. Apart from benefiting the hair, there are also many safflower oil skin benefits. People who have dry skin should use safflower oil which helps in moisturizing the skin, especially during winter, thus making it smooth and healthy.
It is also recommended that people use safflower oil for acne treatment. Application of safflower oil on the skin helps to improve other skin problems like scars, wrinkles, etc., along with acne. Besides all of the above, safflower oil can also be used as a healthy cooking oil or as a dressing in salads.
It has also been shown that the consumption of organically grown vegetable oils increase the health of mammals over non-organic and processed foods or oils according to R. F. Edlich, et al. in “Revolutionary advances in organic foods,” Internal and Emergency Medicine, (2007), 2:182.
Thus, it has become an important focus in science and medicine to include healthy fats in the diet of man and animals in the form of dietary supplements.
There remains great demand for high quality, bioavailable, effective dietary supplements. The current invention provides a high quality dietary supplement containing emulsified safflower oil and other all natural ingredients, such as green tea extract. The present invention maximizes the amount of high quality healthy fats and simultaneously increases the bioavailability of important nutrients to the consumer of the dietary supplement.